No plan to prorogue Parliament or shuffle cabinet: Harper

Prime Minister Stephen Harper moved to quash rumors swirling around Parliament Hill Tuesday, saying he has no short term plan to prorogue Parliament or to shuffle his cabinet.

Speaking during a year-end interview with the French-language television network TVA, Harper said he is happy with the team he has in place — for now.

“It is not my intention at the moment but obviously there will be a time in the future where we should examine the members of cabinet and the government’s agenda,” Harper told interviewer Pierre Bruneau. “But right now our target is the 2013 budget, the next steps of our economic action plan and I am happy with the job my ministers are doing.”

In a wide-ranging 22-minute interview, Harper weighed in on everything from bilingualism and Quebec’s new Parti Québécois government to Canada’s firearms legislation.

Speaking only days after the massacre of elementary school children and their teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, Harper said he was affected by the shooting.

“As a father it is very difficult to watch those images of dead children. It is almost impossible to imagine how someone can do something like that to children.”

“The most important thing to remember is that Canada has a firearms control system that is much more severe, much more strict than the Americans’,” said Harper.

For example, Canada has a registration system for handguns and for prohibited weapons, Harper said. “What is important is to keep a control that functions.”

While Quebec is fighting in the courts to conserve its portion of the long-gun registry, Harper said he doesn’t recommend provinces develop their own gun registries and he doesn’t believe they will work.

“But if provinces want to do that, they have all the necessary jurisdiction.”

Harper also defended the government’s handling of the F-35 file and Chinese oil company CNOOC’s purchase of Nexen. While Canada is open to foreign investment, “we will never accept a situation where a foreign government controls a sector of our economy.”

Although Harper defended his decision to appoint Michael Ferguson auditor general even though he was not bilingual, Harper said he doesn’t want to do it again.

“I admit that it is my responsibility to avoid similar circumstances in the future and I hope that Quebecers and francophones don’t doubt my commitment to the French language and our two national languages.”

But while Harper said it is important for the head of an organization to be bilingual, he doesn’t feel all senior members of an organization have to speak both languages. For example, Harper said Canada’s prime minister and the chief justice of the Supreme Court should be bilingual but doesn’t believe every Supreme Court justice and every cabinet minister has to speak both English and French.

Harper shied away from commenting on Quebec’s PQ government’s plans to beef up the French Language Charter, Bill 101, saying it is provincial jurisdiction, and he defended his own track record on language.

“Honestly, as prime minister, I have given a greater place to French than any other prime minister in the history of this country.”

Harper praised Parti Québécois Premier Pauline Marois for her intelligence but said people are tired of sovereignty and old constitutional squabbles. With the world economy still fragile the Quebec government should focus on the economy and employment, said Harper.

Harper also appeared cool to the idea of granting the Parti Québécois government additional powers.

“We respect provincial jurisdictions and we expect provinces to also respect our jurisdictions,” said Harper, adding he has no intention of re-opening the constitution.